Explosion-preventing apparatus



Aug. 10.1926.

W. L. HARTZELL' I EXPLOSION PREVENTING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 20. 1921 VA\ 7 {A W V X p x j V x Li:

wry/2322M 95M BY ATTORNEY I an air-tig Patented 10,

UNITED. STATES PATENr; OFFICE.

wanna L. mrzntn, orrrrrsnunsn, rmsnvam, assronoa 'ro was'rmcnousnnacrarc a mmacruame courm, a concurrent or rnmwsnvam EXPLOSION-PREVENTING APPARATUS.

Application filed January 20, 1921. Serial llo. 488,609.

My invention relates to explosion preventing apparatus and it has articular rei for electric.

lation to apparatus I employe motors which operate in thevicinity of inflammable gas. p

The object 'ofmy invention is lip provide means for preventing sparks fro a motor or -the control s stem therefor from setting.

is present about an oil or well ap aratus. 'A disadvantage of electric motorriven' ap aratus is the danger that as from the we 1 will be-ignited by sparks rom the motor or the control system. To immerse the contactors of the controlsystem in oil is not suflicient protection, .as static sparks from the motor windings and sparks a out the brushes may occur.

Briefly speaking, my invention consists in covering a motor and its controller with the compartment, y a relatively long pipe, to a source of fresh air, a blower device, which ma be located at a'relatively great distance rom an oil well, being employed u for forcing thefresh air into the compartment.

For a betterunderstanding of my invention,- reference should be made to the ac- M com anying drawing which com rises a 60 sing e view, partly in side elevat1on and partly in section, of an oil-well-drilling equipment embodying my invention.

Referring to the figure, a derrick 1, of

the usual well-known construction, is shown 6Q positioned over a well 2 having a casing. 3.

A drilling tool 4 is secured to a w beam 5 by acable 6. The walking beam 5 is mechanically connected to a band wheel 7 "having a shaft 85 A'{crank 9 is 7 to the shaft 8, and a connecting-rod, 10

connects the crank 9 to the walking beam 5. The band wheel 7 is actuated by an'electric motor 10, which ihsupplied with power fromt com artment and connecting a suitable source of electrical energy (not shown).. The operation of the motor 10 is governed by a suitable controller 11. The motor 10 isconnected to a pulley 12 by means of a belt 13. The ul'ley 12 is mounted upon a shaft 14, on w ich another pulley 15 is mounted. The pulley 15 is connected with the band wheel 7 b a belt 16. Y

The operati n of this 'nd of oil-well a paratus for p pin and drilling is we 1- nown and will not e further described.

The controller 11 and the motor 10 are enclosed within an air-tight compartment 17 which may be constructed of anysuit able material that will prevent gas from penetrating to the motor 10 and the controller .11. The compartment 17 may be of any shape that is suitable to cover the motor 10 and the controller 11.

A suitable opening 18 in the compartment 17 may or may not be rovided for the escape of air. Air. is supp ied to the motor 17 andthe controller 11 by a hollow .con veyor or pipe 19 which'extends for a relatively great distance from the well 2.

The conveyor19 may bemade any suitable length by adding additional sections of pipe. However, the length of pipe will be usuall determmed by the quantity of gas escaping from the well.

The 8.11 or other cooling fluid is drawn through-the pipe 19 by a fluid-propelling device or blower 20' situated within the compartment 17. The device 20 is actuated by the motor 10 to whicliit is connected by a belt 21. The device 20. ma be driven by a separate motor, if desire and may be located a relatively well but,- for the sa e of convenience, it is considered preferable to have it in the same compartment as the motor-control system. B means of the blower the air-pressure within the air-tight compartment may be regulated to exceed the atmospheric -pressure and thereby exclude or prevent the ofin'flammable gas.

though I have shown this ventilating apparatus in conne'c 'onwith a motor for operating an oil we it is apparent that a similar construction may be successfully employed for've'ntilating motors which actuate machinery or other apparatus situated about gasoline-compression plants or other eat distance from themanufacturing establishments in which an modifications may be made in the construction ofapparatus and the location thereof without de[parting from the spirit of my invention. desire, therefore, to be limited only -by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a motor operating near an inflammable gas, of a compart ment for covering said motor, and means comprising a gas-propelling device for ventilating said compartment at a pressure sufficiently high to exclude the immediately surrounding gas therefrom.

ary, 1921.

5 2. The combination with a motor operating in the vicinity of a gas, of a covering member for said motor, a fluid-circulating device adjacent to said motor and driven thereby for obtaining super-atmos herio pressure within said covering mem r, a conveyor for said fluid to said motor and means for allowing said fluid to flow from said compartment.

3. The combination with a motor-control system having a plurality of spark-producing parts, of means for. maintaining superatmospheric pressure around the sparkproducing parts to exclude inflammable gas.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 11th day of J anu- WALTER L. HARTZELL. 

